Bike Blog NYCurban bike culture in NYC and beyond2018-01-26T12:35:58Zhttp://www.bikeblognyc.com/feed/atom/WordPressMichael Greenhttp://www.bikeblognyc.com/?p=197632018-01-26T12:35:58Z2018-01-26T02:50:46ZThree-time world cycling champion, Peter Sagan (27) gifted a customized racing bicycle, in Papal colors, to Pope Francis (81) on 1/24/2018 according to the The Local Italy.

In other Catholic Pedalphile news, more local to home, the 20th Annual Blessing of the Bikes, has a tentative date of Saturday 5/5/2018 at 9 am [...]]]>

But for Queensland cyclist Geoffrey James, it started off with a different kind of bang, when graphic video of him emerged online being struck from behind, by a speeding car, while he was legally riding in the road, and then laying on ground in [...]]]>

But for Queensland cyclist Geoffrey James, it started off with a different kind of bang, when graphic video of him emerged online being struck from behind, by a speeding car, while he was legally riding in the road, and then laying on ground in the obvious pain screaming for medical help while the driver responsible for the crash is heard standing over him saying repeatedly “I’m really sorry man, I’ll pay you,” without offering him any assistance.

Despite the harassment, and very cold weather, Time’s Up! are calling the bike ride, and party a rousing success!

]]>0Michael Greenhttp://www.bikeblognyc.com/?p=196392018-01-24T21:18:19Z2017-11-14T02:24:46ZThis Sunday, 11/19/2017 marks World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims:

massacre of eight defenseless cyclists on the West Side Greeenway by a self declared terrorist last month, this event occurs at an especially hard time for the NYC cycling community, in which there are passionate calls nationwide for Gun Control, by [...]]]>

massacre of eight defenseless cyclists on the West Side Greeenway by a self declared terrorist last month, this event occurs at an especially hard time for the NYC cycling community, in which there are passionate calls nationwide for Gun Control, by the Left, and banning Muslims from certain countries, or entry mechanisms, from the Right, but no similar calls for ‘Car Control‘ from any side.

Detailed information about the NYC rally, including feeder group bike rides from all 5 Boros to the City Hall event are listed here.

If you are seeking something lighter this weekend, the 19th annual ‘Cranksgiving’ charity alley cat is occurring the day before, on Saturday 11/18/2017, or you could do both events?

Finally, a passing mention to our fan, Erik Roby, inventor of the high-tech versatile magnetic Afterglow bicycle reflector, which will hopefully shine some additional light into this bike winter.

]]>1Michael Greenhttp://www.bikeblognyc.com/?p=195312018-01-24T21:20:38Z2017-11-04T16:34:26ZThe past week was likely the worst one in NYC cycling history, and one of the worst ever worldwide up to this point.

Photo Source: AP

According to Streetsblog (Gothamist, another bike-friendly publication no longer exists as of 11/2/2017), the Hudson River Greenway has become an unsafe security obstacle course after 8 cyclists [...]]]>

The past week was likely the worst one in NYC cycling history, and one of the worst ever worldwide up to this point.

According to Streetsblog (Gothamist, another bike-friendly publication no longer exists as of 11/2/2017), the Hudson River Greenway has become an unsafe security obstacle course after 8 cyclists were killed on Halloween afternoon, 10/31/2017, and another 11 people injured by the same self-declared ISIS terrorist, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, who rammed a rented Home Depot truck into all of them.

While many are still in shock, and mourning, this is not the first cyclist to be killed by a motorized vehicle on the greenway, that was Eric Ng, 22, on the night of 12/1/2006, by a speeding drunk driver, so Transportation Alternatives called for “low-cost safety improvements necessary to prevent another tragedy” on 1/3/2008, that were apparently ignored by the DOT. Another cyclist, Carl Nacht, 56, was previously killed by a turning NYPD tow truck on 6/22/2006 at a greenway crossing.

Instead, that money was likely spent on the relentless and expensive Bloomberg/NYPD war against the peaceful NYC Critical Mass bike ride, which they finally won sometime during 2015 or 2016.

In a similar vein, last weekend, the City also decided to deploy its resources against Bike Kill 14, one of the last remaining vestiges from community driven NYC Bike Summer of 2003, shutting it down twice on 10/28/2017, ironically, the second time right next to a Home Depot parking lot in Bed-Sty, Brooklyn.

Juxtapose the City cycling priorities when a predictable peaceful cycling event being held on private property, endangering no one, is targeted for sudden shutdown by a strong NYPD presence because of the “lack of a proper permit”, takes precedence over the City investing in safe well designed bike infrastructure that was needed for over a decade already, and could have helped to save the lives of 8 innocent people!

The question looms, what have cyclists really gained since losing the community Critical Mass bike ride: having excessive unnecessary NYPD monitoring of cyclist behavior (when there was very little before), and mostly subpar, cheaply made, poorly planned, poorly maintained bike infrastructure introduced by careerist Janet Sadik Khan, a sycophant to the global elite, that are now proven extremely vulnerable and unsafe (unless turned into a segregated high security fortress which is completely impractical)?

Its pretty clear, both literally, and figuratively, idealistic “Bike Summer” is long gone, the question now is, how much worse “Bike Winter” can possibly be?

It’s that time of year again for Black Label hosted “Bike Kill” (14th Annual Fall Edition), and everyone is wondering (of course, because it is the best day of the year for some), “when is it being held?”, “where is it being held?”.

Well the answer to the first question, according to insider information, is Saturday 10/28/2017 (last year it went on from 12 noon to 5 pm according to the facebook event, with videos and pictures), but we do not have an answer to the second question yet.

If you know where it is being held, please post to the comments, and we will add it to the blog post ASAP.

In the meantime, here are some other videos (in no specific order) from last year’s event to get you ready for all the excitement (you’ll notice some familiar “Electric Bike Vikings” too, in some of the video, in bright yellow vests figuring prominently at the event).

]]>2Michael Greenhttp://www.bikeblognyc.com/?p=194062017-08-14T00:00:49Z2017-08-12T21:56:42ZOn Monday 8/21/2017, the United States will experience its first coast to coast Total Solar Eclipse since 6/8/1918, when scientists tried to prove Albert Einstein‘s General theory of relativity, but were frustrated by clouds.

Moving West to East from Oregon, to South Carolina, parts of 14 states will experience totality for up to two [...]]]>

Moving West to East from Oregon, to South Carolina, parts of 14 states will experience totality for up to two minutes and forty seconds, in a narrow seventy mile path (the partial phase lasts over 2.5 hours and will be visible in all the other United States, Canada, and Mexico).

In NYC, where those conditions are not unheard of, we will be gifted with only a 77 percent magnitude partial solar eclipse (see animation here) starting at 1:23 pm, with a maximum at 2:44 pm, and ending at 4:00 pm according to predictions, which makes for ideal viewing by daytime bicycle professionals on break, such as bike messengers, and delivery people.

One of the closest libraries for free glasses in NYC is the Clinton Hill Library in Brooklyn (380 Washington Avenue), but you can check this map here for other locations. The Clinton Hill Library is also hosting a free Solar Eclipse Viewing Party on the day of the event.

If none of that works for you, you can also try to see the partial solar eclipse by poking a tiny hole in a sheet of paper, and project the image of the sun on the ground (DIY card projector), or try and do the same thing through a cheese grater, or looking for the pattern of the sun through tree leave’s shadows.

Meanwhile, our friend, Gary Parkerson, The Pedaling Astronomer got a feature article in the USA Today/Tennessean through our contacts, which might lead to national TV coverage of his project in Nashville where he is set to view the total solar eclipse with other cyclists. We at BikeBlogNYC wish him the best!

The Pedaling Astronomer

]]>0Michael Greenhttp://www.bikeblognyc.com/?p=193752017-07-25T10:31:51Z2017-07-25T02:49:26ZAs widely reported internationally and captured vividly on video, on Tuesday, 7/18/2017 around 11 am in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 65-year-old David Fox, nearly beat to death, a 74 year old cyclist with a small club, then drove off before police arrived, and was later arrested for aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.

[...]]]>As widelyreportedinternationallyandcapturedvividlyonvideo, on Tuesday, 7/18/2017 around 11 am in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 65-year-old David Fox, nearly beat to death, a 74 year old cyclist with a small club, then drove off before police arrived, and was later arrested for aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.

While it is hard to imagine what the cyclist did to deserve this beating, and hope for some kind of justice, and a full quick recovery, it should be noted that 27 year old NYC cyclist, Neftaly Ramirez who was killed by a hit and run private, yet to be apprehended, sanitation truck at 12:30 am on Saturday 7/22/2017, prompted another NYPD response of ticketing cyclists (by the 94th Precinct).